A corrugator is an integrated group of machines for manufacturing sheets of double face corrugated paperboard and includes a slitter scorer which is conventionally located downstream from a rotary shear and upstream from a cut-off machine. The slitter scorer slits the web of double face corrugated board longitudinally and scores the web by applying crease lines longitudinally thereon. A number of slitter scorers having a plurality of web paths are known. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,316,064; 4,010,677; 4,033,217; 3,831,929; 2,756,050; 3,882,765; and 3,831,502.
In the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,316,064 and 3,831,502, dual slitter scorers are movable vertically between operative and inoperative positions. This concept of moving the slitter scorers vertically between operative and inoperative positions is objectionable from the viewpoint that heavy duty motors are needed for moving the large masses involved and complex heavy duty frames are required for the precision necessary for guiding such movement. Further, each slitter scorer unit requires its own drive motor for the slitter scorer shafts thereof. For example, see FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,502 wherein two motors designated by the numerals 30 are provided for movement with their respective slitter scorer units.
The present invention is directed to a solution of the problem of how to structurally interrelate and simplify the drive on a slitter scorer apparatus having two web paths, and yet provide apparatus which is so compact whereby it may be substituted for comparable apparatus in an existing operating corrugator.